"Occasionally I obtain a book that has incidental CB&Q coverage because of the
collateral info it provides. Such is the case for "Pages & Postcards From the
past....Ringgold Co., IA 1855-2005" by Mike Avitt a big CB&Q fan. This was
published last year; Mike, a long-time CB&Q fan now at Carroll, IA, was active
with the restoration of the Mt Ayr Burlington depot, local newspaper and the
Historical Society.
A disclaimer: the book is a compilation of Mike's weekly columns in the
newspaper, other local columns and as the title says, a lot of old real photo
postcards & snapshots. CB&Q coverage is NOT the focus BUT if you model this
area of the Q, it's a must. As an Iowan I can attest that far southern Iowa is
even off our beaten paths. The only other railroad coverage that I am aware of
is the VERY hard to find book by Bernie Corbin on the Humestown & Shennandoah
that crossed Ringgold County as it meandered across this hilly part of Iowa.
The best photos are not the copied newspaper ones but old postcards & snapshots
showing the vintage gas stations, hotels, stores, schools & churches that one
would have seen a 100 or even 50 years ago in rural Iowa. Little facts come to
light too such as that Kew (shown in CB&Q TT's as flagstop) may have gotten its
names from "Q" as an CB&Q. There is also a feature on Harry Bedwell, famous
railroad fiction writer who began his career as a Q telegrapher in Kellerton, a
little history of the Leon, Mt. Ayr & SW Ry, built 1879, that was absorbed by
the Q and the Humestown & Shennandoah (which gave Ringgold its second
Burlington line bisecting the County when it came thru in 1882). Alas the H&S
was gone by 1945 and the the former L, MtA& SW by 1977 (there's a so-so photo
of the last BN local). Other Q towns shown with old postcards are
Beaconsfield, Ellston, Tingley, Clearfield, Diagonal & Goshen. There is also a
great 1945 snapshot of 2 kids in the open door of a Q 40" box filled with bags
of feed. (good for modeling an open door box "in the day"). Mention is also
made of passenger service & how/when the Burlington subbed with is bus
subsidiary.
Tech data: softbound on good white stock but not coated; 11" x 8&1/4", 152 pp.
All b/w with photo repro ranging from fair to excellent. Q photos include the
cover which is a super view of 2160 in the 30's pulling a local frt thru Mt.
Ayr near the depot. An old frame home atop a knoll, large trees and the small
town setting makes one get the 'feel'. Other Q photos are the depots @ Mt.
Ayr, Delphos, Ellston & Tingley (a down-on view taken from an elevator). There
are also repros of relevant pages from 1899 & 1909 Q TT's and township maps
showing RR tracks. There is also pretty good coverage of the Wabash (great
photos of 3 of their depots) that crossed the Q @ Diagonal.
Still available @ $25.50, postpaid from: Mount Ayr Record-News, PO Box 346,
Mount Ayr, IA 50854. They have less than 20 copies left of the press run with
no plans to reprint. I'll also bring my copy to Streator. Thanks for creating
this tribute to rural Iowa Mike!
PS - there is only one Ringgold County in America (there is also a town of
Ringgold in the County) - and no, Samuel Ringgold never set foot in the County
but 20 years after his death, greatly influenced Gen. U.S. Grant - read the
book for 'the rest of the story'!
Gerald
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